German 'genocide' motion provokes Turkish backlash

ANKARA (AA) - The German parliamentary resolution recognizing the deaths of Ottoman Armenians in 1915 as genocide drew a fierce reaction from Turkey on Thursday.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim announced the recall of Turkey ambassador to Berlin. “We do not hesitate to take necessary steps, not even a second after seeing the resolution text comprehensively,” he said at an event in Ankara.

Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus described Thursday’s vote in the Bundestag as “null and void” from a Turkish perspective, effectively saying Ankara would not recognize the resolution.

In a Twitter post he called for scientists and historians to be allowed to reach a conclusion on the deaths, not politicians.

“As Turkey, we certainly will give the necessary answer to this resolution on all platforms,” he tweeted.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu posted: “The way [for those] to close dark pages in their histories is not to defame the history of other countries through parliamentary resolution”.

The events of 1915 saw some of the Ottoman Empire’s Armenian population side with invading Russian forces, resulting in numerous deaths in the subsequent fighting and relocation of Armenians.

Turkey accepts that many died on both sides but says this did not amount to genocide and has repeatedly called for the creation of an international commission to resolve the issue.